Kolkata: A man was arrested on Saturday for allegedly molesting an on-duty nurse at a government-run hospital in Birbhum district, West Bengal. The incident reportedly occurred when the nurse was administering a saline drip to the man, who had been brought to the health centre on a stretcher with a high fever.
According to an India Today report citing the nurse's complaint, the patient inappropriately touched her while she was attending to him, and also used offensive language. The hospital authorities immediately called the police, who arrived at the scene and arrested the accused. A formal complaint was lodged at the Ilambazar Police Station and an investigation is now underway.
The nurse, recounting the incident, said, "A male patient was brought in during the night shift with a fever complaint. As I was preparing to administer saline, he misbehaved by touching me and using foul language. We feel unsafe working here due to the lack of proper security. How could a patient act this way?"
Dr. Masidul Hasan, who was on duty at the time reportedly provided additional details, stating, "Around 8:30 pm, a patient named Abbas Uddin arrived with a fever. He started misbehaving immediately. After clinical examinations, we advised injections and IV fluids. When the nurse went to administer the saline, the patient behaved violently and molested her. We requested his family to cooperate, but the patient continued his misconduct. We have reported the incident to the police and the authorities, and if no action is taken, we will consider a cease work."
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Minor Molested By Lab Technician
In a separate but equally disturbing incident, a 13-year-old girl was allegedly molested by a laboratory technician at a hospital in Howrah, West Bengal, on the same day. The incident took place around 10 p.m. when the girl, who was receiving treatment for pneumonia, was taken for a CT scan. According to the family, the girl emerged from the department in tears and sought help from another patient's relative.
The relative, who filmed the aftermath, chased down the accused, a contractual employee named Aman Raj. In the video, the girl described the alleged assault, leading to widespread outrage among locals. The girl's mother, who had been waiting outside, rushed to her daughter's side upon hearing her cries and alerted the police. The police intervened to rescue the accused from an angry mob that had gathered, and he was arrested based on the family's complaint.
These incidents have come to light just weeks after a trainee doctor was raped and murdered at the government-run RG Kar hospital in Kolkata. The case, which involved a civic volunteer named Sanjay Roy who was arrested the next day, has sparked criticism of the Kolkata Police and the hospital administration for their handling of the case. The investigation has since been taken over by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
